Who Was Suzanne Reardon?
by Elspeth the Minstrel
Summary: Kerry remembers something about the victim of the Sweetheart murder... and begins to wonder if she was who everyone thinks she is. Slightly AU. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Who Really Was Suzanne Reardon?

By: Elspeth the Minstrel

A/N:  This is all I'm planning to write, but if I get feedback I might continue!  In other words, R&R, please!!!!!!  

Disclaimer: I don't own anything….

Judge Kerry Dorso sighed.  She was presiding over a long and tedious trial.  It was a murder case.  A beautiful young woman had been killed.  The defendant, Camden Rohryn, was the woman's husband, and, when questioned, did poorly.  His responses were hesitant, and he appeared very nervous.  Every so often he would glance furtively at the jury.  It was clear that this man would be convicted.            

            After the court was recessed for the day, Kerry headed home.  It was a Friday, and her twelve-year-old daughter, Robin, had gone home from school with her friend Cassie to spend the night.  She and her husband, Geoff, were going out for dinner.  

            Her mind wandered to the murder trial.  It reminded her of the case of Suzanne Reardon.  Suzanne's husband, Skip, had been wrongfully convicted of her murder about thirteen years ago.  Thanks to Kerry and Geoff, he was freed from prison and the real murderer was put behind bars.  Frowning, Kerry thought of the murderer.  Jonathan Hoover.  He had been a close friend, and it had hurt her deeply when she discovered the truth he hid. 

            Kerry shook her head, as if to rid it of bad thoughts about Jonathan.  Instead, she thought of Skip.  Skip was now happily married to Beth Taylor.  Kerry smiled.  She had remained in touch with Skip and Beth, and they were very thankful to her.  They were a very nice couple.  Her thoughts then went to less happy things.  She remembered Dr. Charles Smith, Skip's former father-in-law.  In a way, Kerry pitied him.

  In her last conversation with him, she had hinted that she thought Suzanne was not his true daughter.  Dr. Smith hadn't responded verbally to her accusation 'Susie Stevens was your daughter, and Suzanne was your creation', but, once she thought of it, his body language conveyed that he was worried.  Was he worried about Kerry actually thinking Suzanne wasn't his daughter?  Why would he be?  Suzanne _was_ his daughter.

"Wasn't she?"  Kerry asked herself as she pulled into her driveway.

Now Kerry wished Dr. Smith had answered her accusation.  Perhaps Suzanne wasn't his daughter!  "I shouldn't have gone on so quickly.  Should've let him react to everything I said!" Silently berating herself, Kerry went inside. 

            Geoff was already home, and ready to go.  In the car once again, Geoff and Kerry talked about their days.  Geoff had gotten a new client, a woman who was being sued for losing her neighbor's gerbil when she agreed to pet-sit it.  

            Kerry briefly told him about how the trial was progressing.  "I'm sure the jury will decide Mr. Rohryn is guilty.  This case…  it reminds me of the Sweetheart Murder.  It reminded me of something left… unsolved."

            Geoff pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant and looked at Kerry.  "What could you be talking about?"  

            "Was Suzanne Reardon Dr. Smith's daughter?  His daughter was Sue Ellen.  Susie.  Not Suzanne," Kerry replied.

            "Of course!  Do you think that, after being made into a beautiful girl, you'd want to go by Sue Ellen or Susie?  Her father probably gave her a more sophisticated name- Suzanne," Geoff said.

            "I don't think so," Kerry replied.  "Something in him clicked when I said to him, 'Susie Stevens was your daughter.  Suzanne was your creation,' that was more than just anger.  Now that I think about it, he looked… a little… guilty.  I'm not sure he really was Suzanne's father.  In fact, I highly doubt it."

            Geoff arched his eyebrows and asked, "Why the sudden realization?"

            "Just thinking about the trial today, leading me to Suzanne Reardon, and eventually her father.   At the time I was more concerned with having the right person in jail than the details of Suzanne's life.  But, I clearly remember my final talk with Dr. Smith, and something unmistakably bothered him about my accusation.  It seemed to bother him as much as my asking if he killed Suzanne, albeit he said nothing about it," Kerry told Geoff.

As Kerry was talking, the waitress walked up.  "Hi, my name is Nora," she said, wearing a fake smile.  "What can I get you to drink?"

They continued their conversation, after their orders were placed and waitress was gone. 

Geoff shrugged.  "Look into it, if you want.  Find her birth certificate or something."

            "I certainly will," Kerry replied.  "It will most likely bother me until I find out more, even if this is for nothing.  But I must find out- who was Suzanne Reardon?"

            Kerry hung up the phone.  She had just called Skip Reardon, to talk about Suzanne.  He had told Kerry her maiden name, as he knew it- Suzanne Eleanor Smith.  He said that she had been born in Bellvale, a small city in New York.

            "I'll have to drive to the county courthouse, to find out her parents.  Good thing tomorrow is Saturday!" Kerry thought, sitting down and pulling out a book to read.  "I'll probably have to go alone, too.  Rob will be tired, and want to sleep.  Geoff will have to stay home with her."

            Kerry walked into the county courthouse the next morning, as soon as she could.  Talking to a secretary, she asked, "Can you give me birth information on Suzanne Eleanor Smith Reardon?"

            The woman she was speaking to showed her where to find the information.  Kerry searched for a few hours, yielding no results.  Finally, when her eyes couldn't focus any longer, she gave up.  There had been absolutely no information about Suzanne.  

            "Why wasn't there anything?" Kerry asked herself on the way home.  "There should have been, but there wasn't.  It's almost as if she never existed.  She was, of course, a real person, but who was she?  Who _really _was Suzanne Reardon?"


	2. Chapter 2: Too Many Names!

Chapter 2

Too Many Names

By: Elspeth the Minstrel

A/N:  Thank you so much for your help, TesubCalle!!!!!!! :)  Sorry about the long wait for chapter two.  Read, enjoy, and review!

            Kerry walked into her home, feeling very disappointed.  Geoff was sitting on a couch in the living room, reading.  "Did you find anything?" he called without looking up from his book.

            "No, absolutely nothing.  It was as if Suzanne never existed," Kerry replied, walking over and sitting next to her husband.  "Did Rob have fun at he sleepover?"

            "Of course she did.  I believe she is upstairs sleeping now." Geoff smiled.  "They really should call slumber parties 'stay-awake-all-nightovers'! Anyway, that's a surprise.  How could they have nothing?!" 

            Kerry laughed.  "That's good.  I have no idea, Geoff.  Where do you think I should look next?"

            "Well, I think the reason it seemed like Suzanne never existed is because she didn't, really.  Her real name is Susie Stevens." 

            "I know that, but she changed her name.  Shouldn't that be recorded in the court documents?" 

            "…It should.  I guess you should go back and find Susie Stevens' information."

            Kerry sighed.  "I should have thought of _that_ while I was there!"  

            She began walking over to the refrigerator to get a drink.  She stopped dead in her tracks.  "Suzanne Eleanor _Smith _Reardon…" she said quietly.

            "What was that, Kerry?" Geoff asked, yelling from the living room, which was attached to the kitchen.

            "Susie's surname is _Stevens_.  But she told Skip that her name was Suzanne _Smith_."

            "Maybe she used to go by her mother's maiden name, but when her father… changed her… she went by his last name.  Lots of women want to keep their own name when they get married." 

            "I know, Geoff, but it can't be.  Her mother's maiden name was…  I'm not sure, but I'm positive it isn't Stevens.  She married Wayne Stevens after her divorce from Dr. Smith.  Her maiden name wouldn't be Stevens."

            "Well then she took her step-father's name, Kerry!  Isn't that obvious?!"

            "Wouldn't that be a little odd?  She was born Susie Smith,  I would suppose.  When her mother remarried, her name changed to Susie Stevens.  But when she had surgery, she changed her name back to Smith.  Does that make _any_ sense to you?!" Kerry demanded.

            "Hm.  I don't know.  You should find out her mother's maiden name.  After that I don't know anything else to do but look for information about Susie Stevens.  Try talking to Skip for her mom's name."

            Kerry sighed.  "I talked to him just last night, you know.  I told you everything he could tell me—her full name, and the place she was born."

            "Come on, Kerry.  Skip and Suzanne were married.  He has to know more about her than that.  At the very least her mother's name!"

            "I'll see.  He was certain he couldn't tell me anything else that could help."

            Geoff laughed.  "How long have you been a lawyer and a judge?  If you really want information out of someone, you know how to pull out every last drop!"

            Kerry smiled, said, "I'll be back later," and walked to their room to make the phone call.

*          *            *

            Kerry hung up her phone, thoroughly confused.  Skip had told her Suzanne's mother's maiden name was Mason.  He did not know any name of Suzanne's but Suzaane Smith Reardon.  He had only found out about her past, of her being Susie Stevens, after her death.  _Should I just accept that her name changed from Smith to Stevens to Smith?  Is it **really** nessecary to keep investigating this?  _Kerry sighed.  _I should remember the last time I had second thoughts on something like this…  _Shaking her head, Kerry  walked back to her living room.

            "Her name was Mason, Geoff," she said.  "I'm positive something is wrong here.  I just don't know what!"

            "Neither do I.  The best thing to do now would be to check out Susie's records.  Maybe… Maybe even talk to Jonathan." At the look on Kerry's face, Geoff continued quickly, "Or maybe I could…"

            Kerry sighed.  "If worst comes to worst, you or I might have to.  Right now, though, I am going to enjoy the rest of my Saturday!"

            "Good plan," Geoff said happily, settling back down on the couch with his book…

            Suddenly, a shot rang through the air.  Their glass window shattered, and Kerry gasped as the bullet pierced her side.  Geoff shouted and leapt to catch her before she hit the ground.  Footsteps pounded on the stairs and Robin came in, asking what had happened.  "Call 911 _now_!"  Geoff shouted.           

            Robin screamed at the sight of her mother, covered in blood.  She ran to get the phone.

*          *            *

            A slim figure in a ski mask ran away from the Dorso home.  The person chuckled.  _She found out too much last time.  She **can't** find out anymore.  **That **should take care of that meddling fool…_

A/N: *relieved sigh* I wrote another chapter…  yay…  I'm sorry, I know it is rushed, but at least it is written.  Since school is starting soon, I'm not sure how often I will get the chance to work on this.  I will try, I promise, but I can't guarantee anything! *growls at evil people who assign homework*  Whenever it is posted, hopefully chap. 3 is a little better… Please R&R!! :)


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